


Cave of Fallen Lovers

by Angel669



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Caves, Claustrophobia, Fluff and Smut, Injury, M/M, Skeletons, Spiders
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-02
Updated: 2014-07-02
Packaged: 2018-02-07 02:20:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1881459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angel669/pseuds/Angel669
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry is into extreme caving, and he also guides tourist groups. This can be stressful when one tourist is a show-off, one may have problems with tight spaces, and two keep disappearing for some private time. Normally Harry would have it all under control, but today his attention gets diverted by an especially cute soccer player from the UK. One minute (or maybe twenty?) of inattentiveness, and suddenly Harry's rule of never dating tourists is the least of his worries.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cave of Fallen Lovers

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lissomely](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lissomely/gifts).



> Based on this prompt:  
> I would really like to see Harry be some sort of extreme sports instructor (skydiving? Maybe skiing?) and be really good at that but really terribly clumsy in every other situation. Main pairing Larry, everything else up to the author!

 

**Cave of Fallen Lovers**

 

Harry whistled the latest Coldplay tune as he stomped down the creaky wooden stairs from his bedroom in the attic to the lobby of the main log cabin of the Wilderness Adventures Provincial Park compound. It was a beautiful June day, sunny and dry, and he loved his summer job as a tour guide for the park's extensive caves. This was his third summer here, and the place felt like home. The staff was friendly, the caving he did in his free time exciting, and some days he couldn't believe he was actually getting paid to show off "his" caves to the visitors.

He was on a rotating schedule with the other guides - mostly students like him, earning tuition money in the summer months, but also older park rangers - and did his share of all the different caving tours the park offered, from the relatively tame and short Family Spelunking Tour to the nine hour long Extreme Daredevil Tour weaving through one of their longest caves. Some of the other guides found the Family Tour as boring as kitchen duty, but Harry liked the little kids, full of wonder and excitement. And full of questions, of course. But Harry could have answered them all day long.

Today he was supposed to take a group of intermediate cavers on a modestly strenuous five-hour tour. Another day in paradise. And there was his group already, waiting by the reception desk, chatting with Katie. In his eagerness to meet them, Harry's foot caught on the last step of the staircase, and he fell, arms reeling. He would have crashed on the worn out rug, but one of the visitors, a tall dark-haired man in his thirties, caught him in his arms.

"Hey, there," he said in a broad Texan accent. "No reason to get over-excited." He let his gaze travel down Harry's body and back up to his face, his hands still gripping him tightly. "At least not yet," he added with a wink. A slim brunette boy about Harry's own age, who leaned casually against the reception desk, coughed into his fist. Harry, feeling the heat rise into his cheeks, quickly untangled himself from the tall man, mumbling excuses. Katie pushed the attendance sheet and insurance waivers into his hand. "They're all signed up, ready to get their gear."

Harry nodded with a quick glance at the top sheet. Five tourists plus him, a good number for a caving expedition. He motioned the guys in front of him to follow him through a short hallway into the equipment room, where they kept all their caving gear. Tourists couldn't be relied on to wear practical clothes or bring proper gear, so Wilderness Adventures preferred for safety reasons to provide everything necessary.

"All right," he said to the five young men gathering around him. "My name is Harry, and I will be your guide today. I'll be happy to answer any questions you have. But first tell me a bit about yourselves and what brought you here."

Two men who looked like underwear models introduced themselves as Zayn and Liam from Australia. The way they smiled at each other and their subtle body language convinced Harry immediately that they were a couple. Next Harry nodded at a dyed-blond boy in his early twenties who gave him a broad grin back.

"I'm Niall, and I'm from Ireland. Hi!" He turned to the others with a little wave of his hand. "I'm on holidays, visiting my granny in Victoria, but I'm camping here on Vancouver Island for one week. This is my first time caving, but I'll try my best not to slow you down."

"Don't worry, it's not a race, Harry said. "In a cave, slow and steady works best."

"Says the lad who tumbled down the stairs," muttered the small brunette. Up close Harry noticed the intense blue of his eyes, which were shaded by beautiful long lashes. Harry chuckled at his words.

"I promise you I'm more coordinated inside a cave. For some reason, I'm just clumsy in the real world." He kept grinning at the cute boy until his smirk turned into a luminescent smile. "So, what's your name, then?" Harry asked. "From your accent I'm guessing you're English."

"Yeah, I'm Louis Tomlinson, from Doncaster, UK. I play football for the Doncaster Rovers. We're here for the match against Nanaimo United on Sunday."

"Football?" Harry couldn't quite imagine the slender man in front of him wrestling with muscle-bound, boulder-shaped, shoulder-padded...

"He means soccer," the Texan interrupted his thoughts. "I'm Nick, by the way. I'm from Houston, and I'm a photographer for the Houston Sunday Star."

Harry shook Nick's outstretched hand. "Nice. But I hope your camera is a waterproof disposable one. Caves tend to be moist and muddy. You don't want to wreck your good equipment."

"Oh, I know." Nick pulled a small, zip-locked camera out of his jacket pocket. "I'm actually a quite experienced spelunker. Texas is full of great caves! We have the famous Caverns of Sonora, the Longhorn Caverns, the Wonderworld..."

Nick was still listing caves, but Harry knew how to politely nod and smile, all the while moving the operation forward by handing out the tough nylon coveralls that would keep his tourists' clothes clean and dry. Then he dispensed knee pads, gloves and caving helmets, which had flashlights attached.

Nick sidled up to Harry and, motioning at Louis sitting on a bench, stage-whispered: "Don't you have a kids' sized outfit for our little friend there? He's drowning in his suit."

Louis looked up from adjusting his knee pads with a frown, ready with a snarky come back, no doubt. But Harry had learned from experience that part of being a good tour guide was to keep peace between all members of a group. Fighting in a cave could be very hazardous. So before Louis could spit out a foul reply, Harry crouched down next to him.

"Nah, this coverall fits perfectly. We'll just roll up the sleeves a bit, and voilà." Louis's lips twitched into a smile as Harry fixed his sleeves and then knelt to take off Louis's knee pads. "You had these on upside down," he mumbled. When he glanced up, Louis gazed back at him with a look of pleasure lighting up his stunning features. Harry forgot to breathe. He'd happily stay here at Louis's feet and soak up the warmth of his smile for the rest of the day, but then Liam asked for some help with attaching his helmet to his pack, breaking his trance.

 

***********

 

It was a twenty minute hike from the log cabin to the entrance of the cave, but Harry didn't mind. The steep, winding path led first through a patch of woodland, which provided shade from the increasing force of the summer sun, then later along a breezy cliff that allowed for an amazing view of the surrounding area.

"Look at this, lads!" shouted Niall, who had walked a few steps off the path and was slapping the bark of a massive tree, at least two feet in diameter and looming up about a hundred feet into the sky.

"That's a Sitka Spruce," explained Harry, as the other guys gathered around. "It's not a bad size, but if you take some time to hike around the area you'll find even larger ones. They grow up to 45 meter tall, that's about 150 feet. Some of the biggest trees in the world grow right here on Vancouver Island." Perhaps an odd thing to take pride in, but Harry loved the island he had grown up on. Nick got out his camera and took a few pictures, but Harry knew they wouldn't even nearly be able to convey the feeling you got of standing next to one of these solid giants, of looking up to their far off leafy crowns, and feel so small and insignificant.

"We have a good variety of trees," he continued, "right here around us. That's a Yellow Cedar over there," he pointed at another tall tree nearby, "and that there is called Western Hemlock, and then there's also..." Harry realized that the boys' eyes had glazed over and Louis was squirming on the spot as if a squirrel had gotten into his coveralls. Sometimes Harry forgot that not everyone was as enthusiastic about nature as he was.

"Anyways," he added, hopping off the giant root he was standing on only to nearly trip up on the landing, "did any of you know that Vancouver Island has the world's largest crabapple tree?"

The silence was deafening, and only interrupted by the song of a wood-warbler. Harry's eyes traveled from face to face, stopping on Louis's. He stood with his arms crossed, one eyebrow raised mockingly. Harry skipped toward him with a grin. "Well, don't feel bad, not too many people do."

With Zayn and Liam now at the front, the group continued on their hike. Louis elbowed Harry's side. "Quirky," he said in a low, husky tone, "that's what you are, Hazza. Quirky."

"Hazza?"

Louis looked bemused. "Yes. Short for Harry?"

Harry shook his head. "I've never heard that one before. Must be a British thing. Like tea, and rain, and...and..."

Louis snorted. "You'll have to come visit sometime. It sounds like you don't know much about Britain."

"Well, I know I like your accent," Harry said with a bright smile. He didn't understand all the slang words Louis used, but he could listen to that voice forever. It sounded like honey and sunshine, all melted together.

" _My_ accent?" Louis laughed. "No, mate, you're the one with the accent. _Eh_?"

Harry laughed, too. He liked Louis's sense of humour, and how easy he was to talk to. "So, you're a soccer player. Or, football, I guess, you call it? Anyway, I don't follow it much...are you rich and famous over there? Like what's-his-name, that dude with the pop star wife."

Louis stopped walking and stared at him. "You mean David Beckham. How can you not remember his name? He's only the greatest football player, ever!"

Harry ducked his head and gave Louis an apologetic look. "Sorry, man. I just don't have much time to watch sports. Plus I bet you're much better than him." _Better looking, anyway_.

Louis's displeased frown changed back into a sunny smile, and he resumed walking next to Harry. "I wish. No, I have to disappoint you. I'm neither rich nor famous."

"Oh, well." Harry shrugged. "At least you have a career doing what you love."

Louis sighed, a bit dramatically. "Yes, although I wouldn't complain if I was rich and famous." He gave Harry an appraising look. "How about you? Is this your dream job?"

Harry shook his head, curls fluttering in the breeze, and laughed. "Well, actually, I do love it out here. It's a fun summer gig. But I wouldn't want to do it for the rest of my life."

"Then what?" Louis turned mock serious. "What does Harold want to with the rest of his life?"

"It's Harry." He nudged Louis's ribs playfully, Louis pretended to be hurt, and they both ended up giggling. "Anyways," Harry said, when they had calmed down, "When I'm not a tour guide, I'm working on my degree in Applied Biology. I go to Simon Fraser - that's a University in Vancouver."

Harry wanted to say more, but the others had gotten out of the trees ahead of them and were waiting on the grassy plateau. Nick was motioning to Harry to hurry up.

"Wanker," Louis mumbled under his breath, and Harry broke into laughter again. "Come on, race you!" Pushing into each other on purpose, they stumbled more than they ran, and soon reached the rest of the group.

The view from the edge of the cliff never failed to impress the tourists, and even Harry, who saw it daily, was rendered breathless. The Cranberry Creek wound its way like a glittering, skinny snake through the fresh green valley below and the air was so transparent and luminous today that, as Harry pointed out to his guests, you could see all the way from the beaver dam at the creek's far off eastern bend to the small farming community of Foxville ten miles to the west.

After they left the plateau, it was only a few more minutes until they reached the cave entrance, nestled into the side of the hill. Its metal gate was locked (but as a guide, Harry carried a key on a chain around his neck), and a large sign made from driftwood and scrap metal proclaimed in fancy script _Cave of Fallen Lovers_.

"There's a story behind that name," Harry said.

"Oh, a story," Louis teased. "Let me guess: we're not allowed into the cave until we've heard the whole history of it."

"Shut up already, you pubescent imbecile." Nick glared down at Louis, who very maturely stuck his tongue out at him. "Go on, Harry, tell us the story."

Harry and Louis locked eyes for a long moment, both smiling. Then Louis winked.

"All right." Harry cleared his throat. "Loggers had known about the cave systems in this area for decades, but they never ventured far beyond the entrance. Then, in the 1950's, the site became popular with tourists and geologists. A group of explorers, attempting to map out the entire cave, came across an interesting find. A couple of human skeletons, the bones more or less intact, preserved by the cold cavern climate, were found at the bottom of a steep drop. People said they were secret lovers, driven to hide in the caves by their stern parents. Lacking proper gear and probably even torch light, they lost their footing and fell into a small space they couldn't climb out of."

A chill had descended over Harry's formerly cheerful group. Everyone was looking at him with a degree of dismay. Zayn spoke up. "But how did they know that these two people were lovers? Did they find out their identities?"

"No." Harry shrugged. "Even today we don't know their names or what really drove them to their fate. But I do believe they were lovers. The skeletons were found with their arms around each other and their hands entwined."

An awkward silence dimmed the mood like clouds drawing across the sun. "Well," Louis said. "Aren't you the bloody life of the party." His tone was mocking, but he still smiled at Harry, a twinkle in his eyes. "Do you always tell such shit stories?"

"It's not..." Harry gave up with a sigh. "I'm _supposed_ to tell this story. It's my job."

Niall patted his back. "I liked it. It was kind of sweet." Louis only snorted in response.

"So," said Liam, "are we going to see these skeletons today?" He sounded rather excited, and Harry hated to disappoint him.

"Sorry, no. Only the Extreme Daredevil Tour passes their site."

Harry made sure everyone put on their helmet properly before he unlocked the gate. He gathered the group around him and went over the safety rules. A lot of it was common sense (like don't leave garbage behind), but he had a couple of newbies to look after, and for the more experienced cavers, well, it couldn't hurt to hear it again. And then they finally were ready to enter the cave.

 

*********

"It's important that we all stay close together," Harry said as he slowly led the way through the first tunnel. The air was damp and dark, and smelled faintly of soil and moss. The temperature here was easily ten degrees Celsius colder than outside in the June sun. "To make sure no one gets lost, I'm assigning everyone a cave buddy...take a close look at the person in front of you. That's your buddy. You're responsible to know their location at all times."

Louis poked Harry's ribs from behind him. "Good plan, Cave Buddy. But what happens if you get lost?" Harry just grinned back at him over his shoulder. Louis was so funny. Harry walked these caves every day, sometimes two or three times. He couldn't get lost if he tried. The path, illuminated by the light on his helmet grew more and more narrow as it angled downwards. His shoulders now touched the walls on both sides of him. At least the tunnel was high enough that they could walk upright.

"Are we there yet?" Nick mock-whined from behind Louis.

"There is no _there_ ," Harry said. "It's all about the journey."

"Terrific." Louis brushed his hand over Harry's hip. "Will you teach us proper Zen meditation too, then?" The small touch, even through several layers of fabric, made Harry's skin tingle all the way to his crotch. He wanted to keep that hand there and lean back into Louis's chest. He wanted to inhale his smell and discover what his neck tasted like. Instead he bit his bottom lip and accelerated his steps. It was a dumb idea, to say the least. Tourists were off-limits to the guides. There even was a clause in his employment contract. In any case, tourists had the terrible habit of leaving after their holidays were over. And Harry knew from experience that he wasn't cut out for quick and casual.

"Just how long is this tunnel?" Niall asked from his position behind Nick. Voices carried down in the caves, with sound bouncing and echoing from the walls. Niall's voice was steady, but with a small and undeniable tremble. 

"Not much longer." He'd have to keep an eye on that Irish boy. Some newbies freaked out in the dark or in tight spaces, even on the easy tours. But panic could be a huge hazard in a cave, and it tended to be contagious. "We are almost at our first larger cavern. They are illuminated, to show off the different rock formations better, and for easier picture taking."

"That's what I don't like about guided tours," Nick said to Louis in front of him. "It's not real spelunking. Real cavers explore unchartered caverns in the dark."

"Why aren't you in a _real_ cave, then?" Louis sounded as though he wished Nick were in any other cave than this one.

Harry took his group around a bend and suddenly there was light. The tunnel exited onto wide flowstone terraces, shaped like frozen waves, that led down into a high-ceilinged cave. Spotlights illuminated stalactites and stalagmites, making the rock formations look otherworldly. Harry used the handrail bolted into the wall to carefully make his way down.

"The ground here is covered with slippery mud, so go slow and watch your step." Harry reached the bottom and turned around to his group, just in time to catch a squealing, arm-wheeling Louis. The impact rocked Harry nearly off his feet, but he hung on tight to Louis, his arms around his waist. "Did you not see the handrail?" Harry whispered into Louis's ear, letting his lips brush a soft earlobe.

Louis blushed, pulling out of Harry's arms. "Sorry, mate. I was distracted by something." Harry smiled. By the pretty rock formations, no doubt.

Nick slithered down the muddy slope, hanging on to the rail. Niall walked more gingerly behind him.

"Wow, look at that!" Nick pointed up at a group of stalactites that had grown down from the ceiling in a pattern resembling a great ancient chandelier. He dug out his camera and proceeded to take pictures. Louis and Niall walked to the far end of the cavern to check out the majestic display of cave crystals.

Harry was about to join them when he realized that those two Australian dudes - Zayn and Liam, was it? - had not exited the tunnel yet. Harry hauled himself back up the uneven flowstone steps. Not that he greatly worried about them, as the tunnel was pretty much child-proof, but he couldn't allow stragglers.

Peeking around the bend, the flashlight on his helmet illuminated his missing boys: Liam had Zayn pinned against the rock wall, one hand tangled in his black hair as they kissed. Zayn's hands ran up and down Liam's back in soft caresses while their hips gently rocked together as though they were dancing to a slow beat. Their eyes were closed and they looked utterly lost in it, oblivious to the world beyond them. Oblivious to Harry staring until his mouth went dry and his cock throbbed with his own arousal. He loudly cleared his throat. They kept on kissing. Harry tried again.

"Hello! Are you almost done?" They finally parted, a dazed and displaced look on their faces. Harry gave them an apologetic smile. "Sorry to interrupt, but you're part of my group, and we must all stay together. I can't keep everyone safe, if you all start doing your own thing."

Liam nodded. "Yeah, okay, of course." They followed Harry out the tunnel and down the rocks into the first cave.

"Harry!" Louis waved at him from the other side of the cavern. His movements expressed urgency, and his face looked annoyed. Harry would have broken into a run, but as that wasn't safe caving behaviour, he limited himself to long strides. As he approached, Louis pointed up at a rock ledge a few feet above them, where Nick stood, arms outstretched and a huge grin on his face.

"Nick, get down from there." Harry managed to keep the irritation out of his voice, but barely. He had expected this group to act more maturely, not on a kindergarten level. Nick complied immediately and jumped the six feet to the ground.

"Move back!" Harry's arm shot out to push Louis backwards as rocks shook loose from the formation and hailed down on them. A tennis ball-sized stone hit Harry's helmet even as he ducked away. A sharp pain burst through his head and his vision darkened. He sank to his knees, hanging on to consciousness by sheer will.

"Are you all right?" Louis was crouching next to him, gripping his arm and staring at him wide-eyed.

"I'm okay," Harry said. _But keep holding my arm anyway. Don't let me go. Ever._ It was a weird thought to have, about a near stranger, but it somehow felt right regardless. Looking into his eyes, it was as though he could already see Louis in his future, laughing with him, making supper, going shopping, just wasting a lazy day doing nothing, together. He had already memorized the smell of Louis's skin, and somehow he just knew what Louis would taste like. Feel like, skin sliding on sweaty skin. The sensual image heated Harry's face and he abruptly broke eye contact.

Louis rose and pointed at Nick. "You! You almost killed Harry, you dumb-arse twit. No jumping in caves! He told us just ten minutes ago. Were you not listening?"

Harry scrambled to his feet, getting a helping hand from Niall. Nick looked appropriately sheepish as he apologized in a low tone. Harry waved him off. "Don't worry about it. Just, don't do it again. And this goes for everybody: only walk where I tell you to walk, and only climb where I tell you to climb. I'm your tour guide for a reason."

Louis crossed his arms over his chest. "Exactly. What Harry said. You better listen to him."

 _Small but fierce._ Harry smiled at Louis, who beamed his sunshine back at him.

 

**********

 

Harry's head had stopped aching by the time he led his group out of the show cave and back into the darkness of another passage. This one required a bit of climbing to get to, but the boys followed in Harry's steps as meek as lambs as they made their way up moist, slippery boulders. Near the top, Harry gathered them around him on a wide, flat rock. He pointed at a rectangular hole, reminiscent of an air vent duct, carved at eye level into the cavern wall.

"I'll give each of you hand up and make up the rear. In the beginning, we'll have to belly crawl, but later you can get up on your hands and knees." Zayn and Liam exchanged an amused look. Harry gave them a nod. "The two of you go first, so I won't lose you again." He heaved Zayn up and into the tunnel. Nick helped him with the heavier Liam, then nimbly climbed into the hole by himself. At Liam's swears Harry got up on his toes and peeked into the shaft. "I forgot to mention the cave crickets. They're harmless, though."

"And gross!" Liam yelled back. "There's thousands of them."

Harry shook his head at Niall and Louis. "He's totally exaggerating, honest. And they're cute, not gross." He motioned at Niall to go in next. Niall hesitated, biting his lip. Then he stepped forward and let Louis and Harry lift him up. Harry put his lips to Niall's ear and whispered, "Don't worry, the path isn't very long. And it widens real soon. 'kay?"

Niall nodded and disappeared into the dark. Harry grinned at Louis, who had a pissed-off look on his face. 

"What was all that whispering in aid of?" Harry's smile fell. Why was Louis angry?

"Just giving him some reassurance," Harry mumbled.

"And you always do that by sticking your tongue in someone's ear?"

"What?" Harry began to laugh, then tried to stifle it, which made it worse. After a moment, Louis joined in. When the hilarity faded, Harry motioned Louis to the wall. He grabbed him around his tiny waist and easily lifted him. Then, using cracks in the rock for handholds, he climbed up himself and dove head first into the tunnel.

Harry actually liked belly crawling through the mud. With the flashlight on his helmet, it wasn't even all that dark. He enjoyed watching the crickets hop about. And the low ceiling made him feel snug and secure, like being in a secret hideout. Plus now there was Louis in front of him, swearing in his unintelligible British slang at the crickets crawling all over him, or perhaps at the sticky mud they had to inch through.

Just when the tunnel began opening up a bit, Louis stopped moving. Harry smacked is ankle playfully. "Come on, slowpoke, no time for a nap!"

"It's not me, though." Louis twisted his neck to look at Harry. "Niall says he wants to go back."

"What?" Harry inched forwards until he could have rested his chin on Louis's calves. Maybe he hadn't heard right. "He wants what?"

"I want out!" Niall's shrill cry echoed through the tunnel. Harry sighed. There was no mistaking the sharp edge of panic in Niall's voice.

"Hang on," Harry shouted back. "I'm coming to you." Easier said than done in a tunnel barely large enough for one person. Luckily, he only had to shimmy past Louis, who was so slim and tiny. And cute. He tugged on the pant leg of Louis's coveralls. "Press your back into the side of the wall so I can get by." Obediently, Louis rolled onto his right side, squinting back at Harry. "Turn your light off," Harry said while switching off the flashlight on his own helmet, "so we don't blind each other." The sudden darkness elicited a squeak from Niall up ahead, which made Louis laugh.

Harry shifted onto his left side and slowly wriggled forward in order to slot his body next to Louis's. It was a tight fit and Louis's giggling and squirming didn't help. In the dark, Harry was hyperaware of where his body touched Louis's as he slithered by, his chest against Louis's crotch at one point (was it his wild imagination, or did he feel something long and hard poking him?), and suddenly they were chest to chest, with Louis's warm breath caressing Harry's face. Harry would have enjoyed the moment more if it weren't for Niall's whimpering and flailing, his boots kicking back at them in his frantic urge to escape.

"Niall, calm down." Harry grabbed one of the booted feet before it could connect with Louis's face. "I'm here, okay? I'll help you, but you have to be quiet and listen to me."

Niall's wild scrabbling eased up. "I just want to go back," he said. "Why won't you let me?"

"Because it's just not a good idea," Harry said. In fact, it would be a horrible idea. He couldn't leave Niall to make his own way back as an inexperienced, and now somewhat traumatized, caver. And he surely couldn't let the rest of the group figure out which way to go without a guide. "Look, this passage gets wider the more we move forward." He reached to pat Niall's back. "So the worst part is already behind us, eh?"

"Eh?" Louis repeated with a smirk so big even the near-darkness couldn't hide it. Harry gave him a light slap, but then turned back to Niall.

"Take a few slow, deep breaths." Harry gulped in air to demonstrate. "And then just keep crawling. Louis and I are right here with you."

Together, they managed to coax Niall forward until the tunnel was high enough they could get up on their knees. Harry was now shuffling along directly behind Niall, and twice Louis accidentally ran into Harry's butt, face first. Harry giggled and whispered, "what are you doing?"

"It's not my fault," Louis said with poorly disguised amusement. "I can't see a thing."

"Why don't you turn your lamp back on then." Harry rammed his butt back to a satisfying _oofff_ from Louis. Harry shook with hilarity. Suddenly a bright light flooded the passage from up ahead.

"Look. It's the light at the end of the tunnel," Louis quipped. It stole the remainder of Harry's composure. He flopped onto his belly, laughing so hard he thought he might pee himself.

"Hello?" came Nick's voice from behind the lamp. "What happened? We've been waiting for you for ages."

"Nick!" Niall took off like stung by a wasp, his relief so strong Harry could feel it in his own bones.

Louis smacked Harry's bum. "Come on, come on, you're holding everyone up, Harold." Harry choked his giggles down and scrambled after Niall. _He_ was holding everyone up? Oh, now that was funny.

 

**********

 

Beyond the tunnel, they entered the next show cave of the tour. It was a large, pretty cavern, one of Harry's favourites. It had lots of cool nooks and crannies, and spotlights shone in different colours on the various formations. The stalactites hung in a blue mist from the ceiling, the cave popcorn (which looked just like it sounded) had a lovely shade of lilac, and the crystals sparkled under a green light.

Harry automatically counted heads, and wouldn't you know it, Zayn and Liam were out of sight once again. With a groan, he sought out Nick, who unfortunately had no clue to their whereabouts either. Harry was chewing on his thumb knuckle, wondering which of the many passages they might have taken, when they strolled in from the opposite end, looking flushed and guilty as hell. Avoiding Harry, they made a beeline for Nick, who was taking pictures of the popcorn formation.

An arm snaked around Harry's waist. Louis's breath warmed his ear as he whispered, "Don't get angry, Hazza. They're just having fun."

Harry sighed and let himself relax. "You're right." He smiled at Louis next to him. "It's just that they could have picked a much better spot to be alone."

"Oh, really?" Louis's eyebrows rose into his floppy fringe. "Want to show me?"

Looking into those bright blue eyes, yes, Harry absolutely did. Involuntarily, he licked his lips. A quick scan of the cave showed Nick, Zayn and Liam deep in conversation in front of a tree-trunk thick pillar-like structure. Niall sat on a broad rock on the other side of the cave, chewing on a sandwich. His earlier panic must have made him hungry. Of course, Harry wasn't supposed to leave these men out of his sight, even for a minute. But they wouldn't be gone long, and the way Louis eagerly tugged on his hand sent jolts of excitement through Harry's whole body. _Just for a couple of minutes_ , he promised himself. What could go wrong?

 

"This way." Still holding on to Louis's hand, Harry led the way through a tall but narrow crevasse. After loping along for a bit, Harry pulled Louis to a stop. "Can you see it?"

Louis moved his head to shine his light up and down the path. "There's nothing here to see," he said with a shrug.

Harry beamed. "Exactly." Then he turned to the wall on his left and slid his hand along the rough surface. "Ah," he exclaimed, and slipped around the rock, pulling Louis along. On the other side was only a small space, like someone had chiselled a closet into the rock.

"Very clever." Louis gave Harry a sweet smile. "You can't tell it's here at all, if you don't know where to look."

"Yup," Harry said, taking off his helmet. "But we better turn our lights off too." When Louis flipped his switch, the darkness enveloping them was sudden and complete. There is no darkness as absolute and bottomless as the darkness underground, and Harry acknowledged Louis's surprised gasp by yanking him close.

Without light, they used their hands to find each other. Harry grabbed Louis's neck and pulled him in for the kiss he had longed for all day. Louis didn't hesitate. He opened his lips to deepen their kiss and pressed his body into Harry's. Harry's heartbeat accelerated to a crazy drumroll as his blood rushed south to fill his dick. Louis ground his own erection against Harry's thigh, his hands clenching the fabric on Harry's hips. They sucked on each other's tongue until they ran out of air. With a moan, Harry let his head fall back against the wall. Louis used the opportunity to lunge at Harry's throat where he licked, kissed and nibbled his way to Harry's ear. Louis's hand slipped between their bodies to rub the firm bulge in Harry's pants. Harry's own hands slid down Louis's back and onto his round ass, squeezed.

"Bullseye," he whispered, before Louis reclaimed his mouth. Heat flushed through Harry from his neck to his toes. Funny, he was usually cold underground. Now he was wearing far too many layers of clothing. They both were. Reluctantly, Harry moved his hands off of Louis's gorgeous butt and fumbled around for the zipper on Louis's coverall. Breaking their kiss, Louis began working on getting Harry's clothes off as well. When they kept getting in each other's way, Harry had another giggle fit.

"Let's each take our own kit off," Louis said with a snort, "or we'll be here forever."

A sobering thought. "We should probably head back now," Harry said, even as he shrugged out of the top of his coveralls. "The boys..."

"...will be fine without you," Louis finished for him. He reached for Harry, slid his hand down Harry's chest and stomach until he found the button on his jeans. As he opened it, he leaned in to whisper, "Besides, we can't let you return like this, now, can we?" His fingers reached into Harry's boxer shorts and curled tightly around his hard cock, making Harry's heart miss a beat. Or two.

Then they were kissing again, with Louis doing something magical with his hands firmly wrapped around Harry. He moaned against Louis's mouth, too close to climax already. Wave after wave of pleasure rippled through him, too strong to control. So he just let himself fall into the spiralling, exhilarating bliss, spurting into the darkness, a kaleidoscope of colours dancing behind his closed eyes.

"Lou." Harry kissed Louis one more time, deep and hard and gentle all rolled into one, before sliding down to his knees. Louis's jeans were already undone and Harry pushed them down along with the underwear. "I wish I could see you," Harry muttered as his hands found Louis's smooth, leaking cock.

"Yeah, same here." Louis's voice sounded lovely in the dark, melodious and exotic with the unfamiliar accent. And a little breathless. His fingers slipped through Harry's hair, caressed his head. "I love your curls. They're beautiful."

Harry would have thanked Louis for the compliment, but he already had his mouth full. Louis was thick and large, but luckily Harry had a big mouth and a non-existent gag reflex. One hand on the base of Louis's dick, the other palming one perfect butt-cheek, Harry altered between teasingly licking up and down his shaft or running the tip of his tongue around the tasty cock head, and taking Louis deep into his throat. Louis seemed to like both, judging from the amount and volume of noises he made. Abruptly, he pushed Harry off him, and gooey wetness hit Harry's face as Louis shouted out above him.

"Woah." Harry laughed, wiping at the sticky mess with both hands, trying to keep it out of his eyes. "That was a bucketful. Where did you keep all that?" He pulled his T-shirt off and used it to clean his face.

"Sorry, love. Did I get it on you?"

Somehow he sounded more smug than apologetic. _Marking his territory_. But Harry found he didn't mind. "We should get back," he said, feeling around on the ground for his helmet.

"Haaaa-ry! Haaaaaaa- ry!" The distant shout echoed eerily in the darkness. A shiver ran over Harry's naked chest. The reality of what he had done suddenly came into crystal-clear focus. He'd abandoned his group to make out with one of the _customers_. How long had they been gone? It had felt like no time at all, but realistically it could have been anywhere between five minutes and twenty.

"Harry!" The voice was now close enough for him to recognize it as Niall's. And to hear the frantic desperation in it. He got off his knees in a hurry. Something was wrong.

 

***********

 

They found Niall at the entrance to the show cave. He threw himself at Harry, blabbering a bunch of very Irish-sounding, incomprehensible gibberish into his shoulder.

"Hey, what happened?" Harry pried Niall off and gripped him by his upper arms. "What's wrong, man?"

Niall took a deep breath. "Everyone was gone, all of a sudden. I thought you had moved on without me. And then I heard Nick and went after him."

"What do you mean, everyone was gone?" But as Harry glanced around the softly lit show cave, he realized Niall was right. There was no sign of Zayn, Liam, or Nick. "And they didn't even tell you where they went?"

"How very rude," Louis added in a mocking tone, and Harry felt his cheeks turn hot. He'd done it first, left without a word. Crap, he was so going to get fired for this!

Niall took hold of Harry's arm. "But I found Nick. I just followed his screams. And I promised him I would get you right away." Niall turned and darted across the cave, apparently expecting Harry to follow. Harry and Louis exchanged a look, then jogged after Niall.

"You said you followed his screams," Harry said when they caught up with him. "Why was he screaming?" He wasn't actually sure he wanted to hear the answer. It probably hadn't been about bats or spiders. And why hadn't Nick returned to the show cave with Niall?

"You can see for yourself in a minute," Niall said. "He's down this way." Niall pointed at a very narrow opening in the cave wall, framed by sharp-edged sheets of stone. Harry's heart dropped like a falling rock. This part of the cave system was off-limits to tourists. He had been in there only once himself, with several more experienced spelunkers helping him along.

"Niall? Harry?" Nick's voice sounded either far off or weak. Definitely hoarse. And worse, the cocky Texan sounded scared. Harry squared his shoulders.

"Hold on, Nick," he yelled. "I'm coming to get you out." He turned to Niall. "I need you to go back to the place we lost Zayn and Liam and wait for them there. They're bound to return sooner or later." Unless they were lost or hurt or dead, but Harry didn't want to even think that yet. He could only deal with one emergency at a time.

He waited until Niall had trotted off, then took Louis's hand. "Can you wait here for me? I'll probably--"

"What are you talking about?" Louis interrupted. "I'm coming with you." The look in his eyes was fierce, and any other time Harry would have appreciated this level of protectiveness and commitment. But Louis was an inexperienced caver, and therefore more of a liability than an actual help. Yet how could he say such a thing to the man he was so rapidly falling for?

"Please," he whispered. "Just stay here. I'll be right back." He leaned in for a quick, gentle kiss, but Louis gripped him tight and kissed him back hard.

"I'll wait, but you call me, if you need me. Promise!" He squeezed Harry's waist, and Harry nodded.

Then he gingerly climbed through the hole into the dark passage beyond.

 

************

 

Harry's breath rasped loudly in his ears, and the drumbeat of his heart seemed to echo from the damp, cold walls. He remembered enough from his previous expedition to cling to the wall on his right as the area on his left soon opened up, then fell back entirely into a steep chasm. The path was narrow enough that one wrong step on the mud-slippery ground could cause a fall into the deep, gaping ravine. Last time, his group had used a system of harnesses, ropes and heavy-duty spring-loaded anchoring devices, which used small cracks in the rocks to secure equipment without permanently damaging the cave. But since this was only a mid-level tour, Harry didn't carry much gear. All he had in his pack was a length of rope, a single basic harness, and some carabiners and nuts to fasten them into a wall. 

"Harry! Thank Heavens! Get me out of here." Harry shone his light in the direction of Nick's voice. There he was, half-way down the steep slope, wedged between two large pieces of vertical rock. With his eyes wild and wide, and his prominent front teeth, he resembled a trapped rabbit waiting for the pounce of the predator.

Harry carefully stepped closer. It would be dumb to loose his footing now and follow Nick's example. He ran his hand down the craggy wall, trying to formulate a plan. He could secure the rope in the wall and have Nick simply climb back up. Unless... "Are you hurt?"

An embarrassed look passed over Nick's face. "It's my leg. I think it might be broken."

Harry cursed. Worst case scenario, right there. If only he could rewind this day, start over...but thinking like that was useless. Harry had been trained for this, and even though this was his first true emergency, he theoretically knew what to do. First of all, he had to get Nick up here to have a look at his leg and to keep him warm. Hypothermia was always a great danger in caves. Lying on rock cooled down body temperature amazingly fast.

Harry fastened the rope to the nut, which he wedged into the wall. Then he put on his harness and attached the rope. He gave it a few sharp tugs, and it seemed good to go, but...he groaned inwardly at his makeshift construction. He knew enough about safe rock climbing technique that his own plan struck him as sheer madness. But he couldn't see any alternative, so he wound the rope around his body to control the speed of his descent, and lowered himself down to Nick. It seemed a long way down, accompanied by Nick's constant low whimpering and his own noisy heartbeat.

Harry stopped on top of one of the rocks trapping Nick and shone his light down his body. He could only see as far as his waist. "Let's see if I can pull you out." Harry gripped Nick's outstretched hands and heaved. He managed to lift Nick up a few inches before Nick stopped him with a pained cry.

"My foot! It's stuck in there." Nick glared at Harry as though holding him responsible for the mess he was in.

 _And in a way he's right. This is my fault._ Harry swallowed his guilt - it wouldn't help right now. "Did it budge at all when I pulled? Let's try again." Harry took Nick's hands once more. He tried to put all his strength into the lift, but his stance on the boulder was precarious to begin with, and he had no leverage to help him lift. And then Nick screamed and ripped his arms out of Harry's grasp, which made Harry loose his balance, and if it hadn't been for his rope, he would have tumbled into the ravine himself.

"Sorry." Nick grimaced. Even in the yellow glow of Harry's light, Nick's face was a pasty white, made shiny by a stream of sweat. "You're yanking right on the part that hurts. I think every time you pull on it, you wedge it in tighter. If I could move my foot...but I can't, Harry."

Nick's ragged breathing and the fear in his voice made Harry shiver. This was serious. What if he couldn't get him out? If he had to leave Nick here to get help...would he get hypothermia? Would he die? What if he was bleeding internally?

Harry shook his head. No. Useless worries. _Think_. The foot needed to move, but Nick couldn't do it. So Harry would have to. But there was no room to crawl down Nick's leg. Harry shone his light along the rocks trapping Nick. "What's under your foot, Nick? Is it solid? Are you standing on something?"

"What? Why?" Nick's words sounded a bit slurred and he now leaned his head against the rock. He was starting to look disinterested in his own rescue - not a good sign. How much longer until he passed out? Harry had to get moving. Hanging on to his rope, he carefully climbed down along Nick's rock. There was still one little chance to extract that foot: if he could reach it from the bottom.

He reached the lower edge of the vertical rock entrapping Nick at the bottom of the ravine and crawled around it. There was an opening, but it was small and dark. Harry stuck his head in. A mass of long-legged cave spiders, disturbed by his sudden entry into their home, stampeded across his hands and face. Harry quickly shook them off, but there seemed to be hundreds of them. He swiped them away, then shoved himself into the tight space, arms above his head, and reached up for Nick's foot. In the bright beam of his flashlight, it was obvious how it needed to be rotated to be freed.

 _Piece of cake_. Relief flushed through Harry, making him light-headed. Now he'd be able to get Nick out. Except...his hands didn't quite reach. He pushed himself deeper into the hole, wiggling and twisting his shoulders, until his chest was stuck so tight he could only manage slow, shallow breaths. He stretched his long arms as far as they would go and grazed the heel of Nick's hiking boot with a fingertip. So close. So very, very close. If only he was a bit slimmer...

"Harry?" The call came from a distance, and it definitely wasn't Nick's voice. It sounded like Louis...cute, slender Louis! Harry wriggled backwards in great haste and exited the hole.

"Louis," he yelled up to the path. "I'm down here. I need your help." Louis came into sight almost immediately, moving towards the spot where Nick had fallen at a speed that made Harry's heart skip a beat. "Slow down! Put a hand on the wall for balance." Harry bit his bottom lip, wringing his hands. He could barely watch, yet could not take his eyes off Louis. Louis had never been in a cave before today, couldn't tell a stalagmite from a stalactite if his life depended on it, but somehow, Harry was sure, Louis would make it all better.

"Hey, mate, what happened?" another voice called out.

Harry's eyes flicked behind Louis to Liam and Zayn. His shoulders relaxed on a long breath out. So these two at least had made it back to the group unharmed, and they brought solid spelunking experience. His group was almost complete again, except... "Where's Niall?"

"We left him in the show cave," Liam explained. "I think that poor boy had enough of caving - doesn't really seem to be his thing."

Harry quickly explained the situation with Nick, and how he wanted Louis to free Nick's foot. Liam kept nodding his head, his expression thoughtful and focused, while Zayn dug through their packs, extracting various ropes, webbing, carabiners, and descenders.

"Dudes, looks like you prepared for the Extreme Daredevil Tour," Harry said.

Zayn and Liam exchanged an amused glance. "Well, yes, we did," Liam said. "But it was already fully booked."

"The girl at the counter said you'd make it worth our while," Zayn added with a wry grin. "I guess she was right."

Harry felt half elated, half sheepish. Now he had the help he desperately needed, but he cringed at how bored Liam and Zayn must have been on his tour so far. No wonder they had kept sneaking off to make out.

It took them only a few minutes to secure a metal nut into a small crack in the rock wall and fasten another rope onto its wire loop with a carabiner. Liam then made a simple harness out of webbing and showed Louis how to use a figure eight descender to control his speed.

"Don't worry, I'll catch you," Harry yelled up. Louis grinned back at him. He looked more excited than afraid. Harry loved his impetuosity - his fearlessness - even if it was only born out of inexperience. Because even though Harry was only a few meters below in the chasm, it was crazy to let a complete newbie rappel down by himself, on hastily assembled equipment.

Louis did slip down the steep ravine much too fast and stumbled on his landing, so Harry grabbed him around his waist to steady him. And to smell the sweet scent of his sweat, of course, and to feel Louis's heart skip in his chest like a trapped deer mouse.

"Not bad, right?" Louis turned in his arms and laughed. "So what did you want me to do?" The way Louis peeked up at Harry from under his long, pretty lashes and the huskiness of his voice suggested a hidden innuendo, but the situation was way too serious for Harry to react. Instead, he showed Louis the narrow space between the boulders.

"I pushed myself up as far as I could go, but I still couldn't reach. I'm just too big and awkward." Harry eyed Louis, admiring his small frame. "But you're perfect. For the job, I mean," he added, feeling suddenly foolish and flustered, until Louis gave him a glowing smile and a quick, hard kiss. Louis slid into the hole and up the shaft easily and could worm himself up far enough to hold Nick's foot. Harry told him to gently rotate and push it up when he gave the signal. Liam and Zayn would pull Nick from the top at the same time and lift him back onto the path.

Meanwhile, the hunky Australians had rigged up more of their gear and Liam, secured by rope and webbing, climbed down towards Nick, while Zayn stayed behind on the path.

"How is he doing, Liam?" Harry couldn't see Nick from below, and it occurred to him that he hadn't heard him whine or complain for a while, either.

"He looks...err...asleep," Liam said, thick brows furrowed. "But no worries, we'll have him out in a jiffy." He reached Nick and disappeared out of Harry's view. It took a while for Liam to get Nick ready, and Harry bounced nervously on his feet. Finally Zayn gave the signal, and Harry rushed back to Louis. Suddenly everything seemed like a film in fast forward: the foot popped out of the hole, Nick came to life and screamed so loud Harry feared another rock slide, and Liam and Zayn got first Nick safely to the top, then helped Louis and Harry with their ascend.

 

*********

 

Back in the show cave, Niall greeted them enthusiastically. They had to lay Nick on the cold stone floor, but everyone donated whatever clothing they could do without, and Nick got bundled up in several coats and sweaters. Niall even put a blue and green striped woollen hat on Nick, with a matching scarf. "Me Mum made those," he explained, when Louis teased him about it.

Liam and Zayn argued whether they should take the boot off Nick's injured foot, but in the end decided to wait for the rescue team, before they made matters worse. Harry crouched on the ground, digging through their combined caving gear. Liam gave him a questioning look.

"Aren't you going back for help? If you want, Zayn and I could--"

"No, no, no," Harry interrupted. "Thanks, but you've done tons for me already. This is my responsibility, and anyway...there's a shortcut I know that leads to an exit closer to the lodge. But I'll need to borrow some of your gear for it."

A hand fell on Harry's shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Louis bent down to Harry's face. "I'll come with you."

Harry rose, shaking his head. "No. It's too dangerous."

Louis pulled Harry into his arms. He leaned in close and whispered, "You look a little stressed. Your whole body is shaking." Louis rubbed his back, and Harry wanted to cry it felt so good. But he just put his head on Louis's shoulder. "Let me come with you," Louis repeated. "I promise I won't slow you down."

Harry sighed and pulled away. "Oh, all right. But we should hurry. Nick needs medical attention asap." He snatched a few more pieces of gear from the ground and stuck them in his backpack. "Let's go."

 

************

 

The shortcut Harry had in mind was the last part of the Extreme Daredevil Tour, which he ran a few times a week. They walked along a twisty path full of boulders, which looked more treacherous than it actually was. Harry cautioned Louis to follow in his exact foot steps, and after a few minutes, they arrived without an incident on a wide rock ledge. Here, Harry used the permanent protection bolted into the wall to anchor his ropes.

"You can already see the exit from here. Look!" Harry took Louis's arm and pointed in the distance, at the rock wall beyond a murky pond, where an opening let in a stream of white sunshine from the world above. "We'll rappel together. You've just done it, so it'll be easy. It's only a bit farther than what you did before, but you'll be fine as long as you don't look down."

Immediately, Louis approached the rim of the ledge and peeked over. He hastily took a step back, colliding with Harry. Below a 30 foot drop down a craggy cliff waited a muddy pool, which looked like it might harbour a poisonous creature from a monster movie. Harry shrugged. "It always looks worse from the top." He pulled Louis closer and helped him get ready for the descend. "It was your idea to come along," he murmured into Louis's ear. "So no chickening out now."

"I'd never!" Louis's eyes sparked with outrage. He gripped Harry's hips and yanked him in tight. "You won't get rid of me that easily." They kissed, tongues tangling fast and with an urgent passion, like it was the end of something rather than the beginning, like they might never see each other again.

"I'm glad you came," Harry whispered into Louis's mouth. "There's something I want to show you." Louis's eyebrow quirked up and he opened his mouth to speak, but Harry shook his head. "Let's focus on getting down first."

Strangely synchronized, as though they'd been spelunking together for ages, they began their descent. Harry told Louis a rather convoluted story about a friend who had gotten lost in a cave once while searching for his kitten, just to keep Louis focused on him. It seemed to be working, and soon their boots slipped into icy water.

"Eeeew." Louis made a face. "How deep is this bog?"

"We can stand here," Harry reassured him. He unclipped their gear, leaving it behind. He could come back for it in the morning. It had been a dry week with no rain to feed the rivers, so the water only came up to their chests at the deepest. Still, being wet underground could give a person hypothermia in no time. He rushed to the other side of the small pool, urging Louis to hurry. Louis swam rather than walked and quickly caught up to Harry once he reached firm ground.

Harry was waiting for him by a huge gash in the wall that travelled from the floor to the high cave ceiling, as if a giant had cracked the rock open with an enormous axe. "I know we should run to get help, but I just quickly want you to see this." Louis squeezed in beside Harry, peering through the cleft that was only about a foot wide at eye level, standing on his tippy-toes. For a moment he just stared at the niche behind the wall, at the two small skeletons, intertwined bags of bones, grinning back at him. Then he inhaled sharply and swivelled back to Harry.

"Your lovers! From that unlikely story you told us this morning." Harry smiled ruefully; that morning now seemed ages ago, with all that had happened since. Louis pressed his face back into the fissure. "Why don't they get them out?" he asked. "Bury them properly, or something?"

"Well." Harry spoke slowly, thoughtfully, even though his body had already begun to shiver with the wet cold. "For one, it would be very hard and dangerous to get to them out, especially without causing damage to the cave. Also, no-one knows who they were, so who would bury them? The park administration decided to just leave them here, where they can be next to each other. So they can be in death how they didn't get to be in life. Together."

Frowning, Louis stared at the dead couple. "They are holding hands."

Harry nodded. "And you know what else?" He squeezed in close to Louis, needing his warmth, wanting to feel his heartbeat. "We had a biologist here once. She was studying them with special optical equipment, since she couldn't get any closer. She took photos too. She told me that they were still pretty young when they fell. Somewhere between fifteen and twenty years old, was her guess. Also..." Harry took a shuddering breath.

"Yeah?" Louis gave him a questioning look. "And?"

"Well, there are a few clues, but you can see it especially clearly from their pelvis bones, she said. The way they're shaped. Apparently, they were both male." Louis's eyes flickered between the lovers and Harry. He shivered, from the cold, or maybe from something more than that. His lips were beginning to turn a nasty shade of eggplant.

"We have to go," Harry said. "Nick needs help, and we need to warm up. How does a hot shower sound?"

"With you? Great." After a last look at the pair in the niche, Louis took Harry's frozen hand into his own. "Life's too short," he said with a tiny quirk of his lips, "let's not waste a second."

Hand in hand, they ran towards the golden shaft of light guiding them out.


End file.
